Method and apparatus for controlling communication device, and communication system

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a method and apparatus for controlling a communication device, and a communication system. The apparatus is applied to a communication device, the apparatus comprises a first processing unit, and the first processing unit controls the communication device to perform the following operation: the communication device receiving control signaling and / or configuration information sent by a network device, wherein the control signaling and / or the configuration information are used for controlling the communication device to communicate with and / or access an Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device by means of a first interface.

Description

Method, device and communication system for controlling communication equipment Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technologies. Background Art

[0002] From the 2G era to the early days of the 4G system, cellular mobile communication systems primarily served mobile phones—mobile terminal devices held by people. With the rapid development of the mobile internet and the Internet of Things (IoT), the technological evolution of cellular mobile communication systems, starting in the late 4G era and continuing to this day, has considered and supported an increasingly diverse range of IoT application scenarios. Consequently, a wider variety of IoT device types have been supported and implemented in actual network deployments and service applications, including Enhanced Machine-Type Communication (eMTC) devices, Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices, and Reduced Capability (RedCap) devices. With the increasing diversity of IoT device types, cellular mobile systems have increasingly enhanced their capabilities for providing services and services tailored to vertical industries.

[0003] However, among the vast number of IoT devices, cellular mobile communication systems still lack the ability to support a large number of lower-cost IoT terminals. To provide more robust, reliable, and complete IoT application solutions, supporting these lower-cost IoT terminals within 3GPP cellular mobile systems has become a pressing issue.

[0004] Low-cost IoT devices in 3GPP cellular mobile systems are called Ambient IoT devices. IoT devices that support ambient power are powered by energy harvesting and lack batteries or have limited energy storage capabilities (e.g., capacitors). These devices can be called Ambient IoT (AIoT) devices, passive IoT devices, or simply tags. Devices that communicate directly with AIoT devices are called readers, interrogators, and so on.

[0005] Readers can exist on network devices, allowing direct communication between AIOT devices and 5G networks without requiring end devices (e.g., user equipment (UE)) to transfer information between the AIoT devices and the 5G network. Readers can also exist on end devices, enabling indirect network communication for ambient IoT, meaning communication between ambient IoT devices and the 5G network, with an ambient IoT-enabled UE helping to transfer information between the ambient IoT devices and the 5G network.

[0006] It should be noted that the above technical background is merely provided to provide a clear and complete description of the technical solutions of this application and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Simply because these solutions are described in the background technology section of this application, it should not be assumed that the above technical solutions are well known to those skilled in the art.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] Support for tag-type terminal devices (also known as AIoT devices) in the 3GPP 5G system can reuse existing base station deployments and support industry applications based on these terminals through existing cellular mobile communication networks, thereby effectively reducing deployment and usage costs. The 3GPP 5G system can provide reliable authentication, network coordination, and accurate and stable terminal device management mechanisms. Based on this, it can also optimize the network to improve system capacity and spectrum efficiency.

[0009] As a new type of IoT terminal in the 5G system, the cost of tag-type terminal devices is severely limited. The hardware capabilities of the devices are significantly weaker than those of ordinary smartphones and other IoT devices. If communication is only carried out through base stations, it is likely that full network coverage cannot be achieved due to limitations such as device power, especially when the base station and AIoT devices are in different indoor and outdoor scenarios, or in scenarios where the distance is far. Therefore, intermediate nodes are introduced, such as traditional user equipment (UE) as intermediate nodes for data forwarding to enhance coverage of AIoT devices.

[0010] The inventors of this application discovered that intermediate nodes need to have a module that supports the reader function of AIoT. However, the configuration and control of the reader function of intermediate nodes (such as UE) are not standardized, which makes it impossible for AIoT devices to communicate with readers and networks. How to configure and control intermediate nodes to support data communication with AIoT devices has become an urgent problem to be solved.

[0011] In response to at least one of the above problems or other similar problems, embodiments of the present application provide a method, apparatus, and communication system for controlling a communication device.

[0012] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a device for controlling a communication device is provided. The device is applied to the communication device, and includes a first processing unit. The first processing unit controls the communication device to perform the following operations:

[0013] The communication device receives control signaling and / or configuration information sent by a network device, where the control signaling and / or the configuration information are used to control the communication device to communicate and / or access an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device through a first interface.

[0014] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a device for controlling a communication device is provided. The device is applied to a network device, and includes a second processing unit. The second processing unit controls the network device to perform the following operations:

[0015] The network device sends control signaling and / or configuration information to the communication device, where the control signaling and / or the configuration information are used to control the communication device to communicate and / or access an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device through a first interface.

[0016] One of the beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application is to enhance the configuration and control of intermediate nodes (e.g., UE) to support communication and services from AIoT devices to the network.

[0017] With reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, specific embodiments of the present application are disclosed in detail, indicating the manner in which the principles of the present application can be employed. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application are not limited in scope. Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the embodiments of the present application include many variations, modifications and equivalents.

[0018] Features described and / or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for features in other embodiments.

[0019] It should be emphasized that the term "include / comprising" when used herein refers to the presence of features, integers, steps or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The elements and features described in one figure or one embodiment of the present application can be combined with the elements and features shown in one or more other figures or embodiments. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals represent corresponding parts in several figures and can be used to indicate corresponding parts used in more than one embodiment.

[0021] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a topological scenario of the present application;

[0022] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a protocol stack of a communication system having a communication device;

[0023] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a method for controlling a communication device according to an embodiment of the first aspect;

[0024] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the inventory process;

[0025] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a method for controlling a communication device according to an embodiment of the second aspect;

[0026] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for controlling a communication device according to an embodiment of the third aspect;

[0027] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for controlling a communication device according to an embodiment of the fourth aspect;

[0028] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the fifth aspect. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The above and other features of the present application will become apparent through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description and the accompanying drawings, specific embodiments of the present application are disclosed in detail, which illustrate some embodiments in which the principles of the present application can be adopted. It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the described embodiments. On the contrary, the present application includes all modifications, variations and equivalents that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0030] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish different elements from the name, but do not indicate the spatial arrangement or temporal order of these elements, and these elements should not be limited by these terms. The term "and / or" includes any one and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms. The terms "comprising", "including", "having", etc. refer to the presence of the stated features, elements, components or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components or components.

[0031] In the embodiments of this application, the singular forms "a," "the," etc. include plural forms and should be broadly understood to mean "a" or "a type" rather than being limited to "one." Furthermore, the term "said" should be understood to include both singular and plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, the term "according to" should be understood to mean "at least in part based on...", and the term "based on" should be understood to mean "at least in part based on...", unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0032] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "communication network" or "wireless communication network" may refer to a network that complies with any of the following communication standards, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Enhanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A, LTE-Advanced), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), etc.

[0033] Furthermore, communication between devices in the communication system may be carried out according to communication protocols of any stage, for example, including but not limited to the following communication protocols: 1G (generation), 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, 4G, 4.5G and 5G, New Radio (NR), etc., and / or other communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0034] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "network device" refers to, for example, a device in a communication system that connects a terminal device to a communication network and provides services for the terminal device. Network devices may include, but are not limited to, the following devices: an integrated access and backhaul node (IAB-node), a base station (BS), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a broadcast transmitter, a mobile management entity (MME), a gateway, a server, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), and the like.

[0035] Base stations may include, but are not limited to, NodeB (NB), evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), and 5G base stations (gNB), among others. They may also include remote radio heads (RRHs), remote radio units (RRUs), relays, or low-power nodes (e.g., femeto, pico, etc.). The term "base station" may include some or all of their functions, and each base station may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area. The term "cell" may refer to a base station and / or its coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0036] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "user equipment" (UE) or "terminal equipment" (TE) refers to, for example, a device that accesses a communication network through a network device and receives network services. A terminal device can be fixed or mobile and may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), a terminal, a subscriber station (SS), an access terminal (AT), a station, and so on.

[0037] Among them, terminal devices may include but are not limited to the following devices: cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, wireless communication devices, handheld devices, machine-type communication devices, laptop computers, cordless phones, smart phones, smart watches, digital cameras, etc.

[0038] For another example, in scenarios such as the Internet of Things (IoT), the terminal device can also be a machine or device for monitoring or measurement, including but not limited to: machine type communication (MTC) terminal, vehicle-mounted communication terminal, device-to-device (D2D) terminal, machine-to-machine (M2M) terminal, and so on.

[0039] In addition, the term "network side" or "network device side" refers to one side of the network, which can be a base station or one or more network devices as mentioned above. The term "user side" or "terminal side" or "terminal device side" refers to the user or terminal side, which can be a UE or one or more terminal devices as mentioned above.

[0040] In the following description, the terms "uplink control signal" and "uplink control information (UCI)" or "physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)" are interchangeable, and the terms "uplink data signal" and "uplink data information" or "physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)" are interchangeable to avoid confusion.

[0041] The terms "downlink control signal" and "downlink control information (DCI)" or "physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)" are interchangeable, and the terms "downlink data signal" and "downlink data information" or "physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)" are interchangeable.

[0042] In addition, sending or receiving PUSCH can be understood as sending or receiving uplink data carried by PUSCH, sending or receiving PUCCH can be understood as sending or receiving uplink information carried by PUCCH, and sending or receiving PRACH can be understood as sending or receiving preamble carried by PRACH; uplink signals can include uplink data signals and / or uplink control signals, etc., and can also be referred to as uplink transmission (UL transmission) or uplink information or uplink channels. Sending uplink transmission on uplink resources can be understood as sending the uplink transmission using the uplink resources. Similarly, downlink data / signals / channels / information can be understood accordingly.

[0043] In the embodiments of the present application, the high-layer signaling may be, for example, radio resource control (RRC) signaling; for example, an RRC message, including, for example, an MIB, system information, or a dedicated RRC message; or an RRC information element (RRC IE). The high-layer signaling may also be, for example, MAC (Medium Access Control) signaling; or a MAC control element (MAC CE). However, the present application is not limited thereto.

[0044] The following describes the scenarios of the embodiments of the present application through examples, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0045] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the topology scenario of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the environmental IoT device 2 communicates bidirectionally with the intermediate node 3, and the intermediate node 3 communicates with both the environmental IoT device 2 and the network device (e.g., base station) 1. In the topology shown in Figure 1, the intermediate node 3 can be a relay node with environmental IoT capabilities, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a user equipment (UE), a repeater, etc. The intermediate node 3 transmits data and / or signaling related to the environmental IoT service between the network device 1 and the environmental IoT device 2.

[0046] In the embodiments of the present application, Ambient IoT, AIoT, and Environmental Internet of Things have the same meaning and can be replaced with each other.

[0047] Embodiments of the first aspect

[0048] The embodiment of the first aspect of the present application provides a method for controlling a communication device, wherein the method is applied to a communication device, such as the intermediate node 3 mentioned above.

[0049] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a protocol stack of a communication system having the communication device.

[0050] As shown in FIG2 , the communication system includes an intermediate node 3 (ie, a communication device), an environmental IoT device 2, and a network device 1 (eg, a gNB).

[0051] The intermediate node 3 can be divided into two functional entities or functional units: one corresponds to the traditional user equipment (UE) part, for example, also called the mobile terminal (MT) part 31; the other is the reader part 32.

[0052] The AIoT device 2 air interface can use the physical layer (PHY) and the first protocol layer. The first protocol layer refers to the high layer (AIoT high layer), which can include media access control, AIoT device identification, AIoT device control, memory operations of AIoT devices, and application functions. The first protocol layer mainly implements the operation management of AIoT device 2, such as selecting certain specific AIoT device groups, identifying and discovering AIoT devices within the network coverage, communicating with and accessing identified AIoT devices, etc. The first protocol layer can also divide its functions into various sublayers for implementation.

[0053] The reader portion 32 also has the same physical layer and first protocol layer as its counterparts.

[0054] In the present application, the first protocol layer may also be a media access control (MAC) layer, thereby implementing media access control and AIoT device identification and control related functions at the MAC layer.

[0055] The AIoT device 2 can communicate with the reader part 32 of the intermediate node 3 through the first interface 30. The first interface 30 is a wireless interface and can be called an AIoT interface (AIoT interface) or AIoT Uu or A-Uu, etc.

[0056] In some embodiments, the AIoT device 2 transmits a signal by backscattering a first waveform. The first waveform is a waveform transmitted by the intermediate node 3 or a third-party device (not shown in FIG3 ); alternatively, the AIoT device 2 generates the first waveform and modulates the information to be transmitted onto the first waveform for transmission.

[0057] In some examples, the physical layer of the first interface 30 has the following characteristics: For the AIoT device 2, since it may be a passive device, it must transmit data through backscattering. The carrier that provides backscattering is called a first waveform, which can be a blank carrier, a carrier wave, a continuous wave, a sine wave, a backscattered / backscattering wave, or an uplink wave, etc., although the present application is not limited thereto.

[0058] The first waveform is used to provide energy to the AIoT device 2. The first waveform can be emitted by a device that communicates with the AIoT device 2, such as the intermediate node 3. The first waveform can also be emitted by an independent third-party device.

[0059] For example, AIoT device 2 sends a signal by backscattering a first waveform. This first waveform is the waveform sent by intermediate node 3 or a third-party device. AIoT device 2 modulates the information to be sent onto the first waveform by adjusting its backscatter circuit, and then backscatters the modulated first waveform.

[0060] For another example, the AIoT device 2 generates a first waveform by itself and modulates the information to be sent to the intermediate node 3 onto the first waveform for transmission.

[0061] In at least one embodiment, the signal sent by the AIoT device 2 to the intermediate node 3 can be a single-carrier signal. The single-carrier signal is modulated, for example, using on-off keying (OOK). Compared with multi-carrier signals, the modulation and demodulation complexity of single-carrier signals is low, and the requirements on hardware equipment capabilities and accuracy are also low, which can effectively reduce the complexity and cost of the AIoT device 2.

[0062] As shown in Figure 2, the mobile terminal 31 of the intermediate node 3 can communicate with the network device 1 via the Uu interface. For example, the mobile terminal 31 of the intermediate node 3 and the network device 1 have corresponding radio resource control (RRC) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, radio link control (RLC) layer, medium access control (MAC) layer, physical (PHY) layer, radio frequency (RF) layer, etc. in the control plane.

[0063] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a method for controlling a communication device according to an embodiment of the first aspect. As shown in FIG3 , the method includes:

[0064] 301. The communication device receives control signaling and / or configuration information sent by a network device, where the control signaling and / or the configuration information are used to control the communication device to communicate and / or access an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device through a first interface.

[0065] Among them, the communication device is, for example, the intermediate node 3 in Figure 1 and or Figure 2, the reader of the communication device is, for example, the reader part 32 of the intermediate node 3 in Figure 2, and the mobile terminal of the communication device is, for example, the mobile terminal part 31 of the intermediate node 3 in Figure 2; the network device is, for example, the network device 1 in Figure 1 and or Figure 2; the ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device is, for example, the ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device 2 in Figure 1 and or Figure 2.

[0066] The mobile terminal part of the communication device receives the control information or the configuration information, thereby enabling the reader part of the communication device to communicate with and / or access the ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device.

[0067] In some embodiments of operation 301, the configuration information includes: layer 1 related configuration, and / or layer 2 related configuration, and / or paging related configuration, such as paging cycle, paging channel, time-frequency resources used for paging, etc.

[0068] The layer 1 related configuration includes at least one of the following configurations:

[0069] The channel, modulation mode, coding method, connection timing parameters used by the reader and the AIoT device, time / frequency resources used by the reader and / or the AIoT device, time division duplex (TDD) configuration information, synchronization signal, preamble identifier, etc.

[0070] Layer 2 related configurations include at least one of the following configurations:

[0071] Switch information of the reader, for example, the time or period of opening and / or closing, or the triggering conditions of opening and / or closing;

[0072] Parameter configuration in the media access control (MAC) process of the first interface, for example, the inventory cycle length, the parameter reflecting the maximum time slot in the inventory process, the anti-collision algorithm, collision management parameters, random access parameters, etc., wherein the media access control (MAC) process of the first interface includes an inventory process and / or a command process.

[0073] In some embodiments, the above configuration information and / or control signaling is carried via a radio resource control (RRC) message or a media access control element (MAC CE).

[0074] As shown in FIG3 , the method further includes:

[0075] 302. Receive an AIoT service-related request sent by the network device;

[0076] 303. Communicate with the AIoT device through the protocol stack of the first interface; and

[0077] 304. Send the result information that needs to be fed back to the network device.

[0078] In operations 302 and 304, the communication device sends and receives information with the network device via the Uu interface.

[0079] Through operations 302, 303, and 304, the communication device receives an AIoT-related request from the network side and then communicates with the AIoT device through the protocol stack of the first interface, such as DO-DTT, DT, and other related traffic types. The result information that needs to be fed back is then sent to the network device through the Uu interface. DO-DTT traffic, for example, is the inventory process of AIoT devices, that is, the device discovery process, or the paging process; DT traffic, for example, is the command process for AIoT, that is, the network sends instructions to the AIoT device, and the AIoT device executes the relevant operation after receiving the instructions.

[0080] In some embodiments, device-originating-device-terminated-traffic-triggered (DO-DTT) traffic or device-terminated (DT) traffic regarding ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) services between the communication device and the network device is transmitted using a control plane.

[0081] For example, the network device initiates a related request to the communication device through downlink control signaling, where the request includes an inventory request (also called paging, device discovery) and / or a command request.

[0082] An inventory request may include information such as the scope of the inventory, such as the range of device identifiers (e.g., filter conditions, group identifiers), the inventory period, etc. A command request may include one or more command objects, such as device identifiers or lists, or identifier ranges (e.g., filter conditions, group identifiers), as well as command content, such as accessing memory, reading and / or writing memory, changing device status, deactivating a device, etc.

[0083] After the communication device completes the communication process of the first interface through the reader and the AIoT device, the communication device sends a response to the network device through uplink control plane signaling, such as the inventory response result is the device identification, the command response is success or failure, or the command-related reporting result.

[0084] The communication device can process multiple feedback results received by the reader from the AIoT device and send them to the network device in a unified manner.

[0085] The above control signaling can use RRC (radio resource control) messages or MAC CE bearers, both for uplink and downlink. In addition, layer 1 signaling can also be used, such as downlink control information (DCI) for downlink and uplink control information (UCI) for uplink.

[0086] In some embodiments, the DO-DTT, DT, and other traffic related to AIoT services between the communication device and the network device can be transmitted using the user plane. The communication device can communicate with the network device through a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session, which passes through the network device to the core network element user plane function (UPF). The request information and response information are both included in the session PDU as user data and transmitted.

[0087] In some embodiments of the present application, the network device can be controlled by the core network. For example, the network device can receive an inventory and / or command request from an access and mobility management function (AMF), or an AIoT-specific network function (NF), such as AIoTF, or an application function (AF), and then the network device configures and / or controls the communication device, refer to the above-mentioned relevant instructions on operation 301.

[0088] In other embodiments of the present application, the network device may also be configured by an Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM) server, such as configuring the wireless configuration of a reader of a communication device served by the network device, including the frequency and / or frequency band, etc. The network device then configures the reader of the communication device accordingly.

[0089] Below, the method for controlling a communication device of the present application is described by taking an inventory process as an example.

[0090] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the inventory process. As shown in FIG4 , the inventory process includes:

[0091] 1. The core network sends an inventory request to the network device. The request includes the inventory filter conditions, etc.

[0092] 2. The network device selects a communication device (e.g., UE) with a reader function and configures the communication device to support communication with the AIoT device on the first interface. For configuration details, refer to the relevant instructions for operation 301 above. This step can also be done in advance, and it is not necessary to reconfigure every time a core network request is received.

[0093] 3. The network device sends an inventory request to the selected communication device. The sending method is described above.

[0094] 4. The communication device's reader performs an inventory of the area within its communication range. The inventory results in the identification of devices within the area that meet the filter criteria. The communication device receives the reader's inventory results through internal signaling, which means the reader transmits the results to the communication device.

[0095] 5. The communication device reports the inventory results to the network device. Refer to the above description for the reporting method.

[0096] 6. The network device can organize, save, and process the device identifications obtained from the inventory. This step can also be performed by the communication device, so that the communication device can directly report the processed results to the network device in step 5.

[0097] 7. The network device reports the inventory results to the core network.

[0098] The embodiments of the first aspect of the present application enhance the configuration and control of intermediate nodes (e.g., UE) to support communication and services from AIoT devices to the network.

[0099] Embodiments of the second aspect

[0100] An embodiment of the second aspect provides a method for controlling a communication device, which is applied to a network device, for example, the network device 1 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 .

[0101] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a method for controlling a communication device according to an embodiment of the second aspect. As shown in FIG5 , the method includes:

[0102] 501. A network device sends control signaling and / or configuration information to a communication device, where the control signaling and / or the configuration information are used to control the communication device to communicate with and / or access an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device through a first interface.

[0103] In some embodiments, an AIoT device sends a signal to the communication device by backscattering a first waveform, where the first waveform is a waveform sent by the communication device or a third-party device; or, the AIoT device generates a first waveform and modulates the information to be sent onto the first waveform for transmission.

[0104] In some embodiments, the communication device includes a mobile terminal and a reader,

[0105] The mobile terminal receives the control information or the configuration information,

[0106] The reader communicates with and / or accesses the Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device.

[0107] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes:

[0108] Layer 1 related configuration, and / or layer 2 related configuration, and / or paging related configuration.

[0109] In some embodiments, the layer 1 related configuration includes at least one of the following configurations:

[0110] The channel, modulation mode, coding method, connection timing parameters used by the reader and the AIoT device, time / frequency resources used by the reader and / or the AIoT device, time division duplex (TDD) configuration information, synchronization signal, and preamble identifier;

[0111] The layer 2 related configuration includes at least one of the following configurations:

[0112] Switch information of the reader, and parameter configuration in the media access control (MAC) process of the first interface.

[0113] In some embodiments, the switch information of the reader includes:

[0114] On and / or off time or period, or on and / or off triggering conditions;

[0115] The media access control (MAC) process of the first interface includes:

[0116] Inventory process, and / or command process;

[0117] The parameter configuration in the media access control (MAC) process of the first interface includes:

[0118] Inventory cycle length, parameters reflecting the maximum time slot during the inventory process, anti-collision algorithm parameters, collision management parameters, random access parameters, etc.

[0119] In some embodiments, the configuration information and / or control signaling is carried via a radio resource control (RRC) message or a medium access control control element (MAC CE).

[0120] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , the method further includes:

[0121] 502. The network device sends a request related to an AIoT service to the communication device; and

[0122] 503. Receive a feedback result sent by the communication device.

[0123] In some embodiments, device-originating-device-terminated-traffic-triggered (DO-DTT) traffic or device-terminated (DT) traffic regarding ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) services between the communication device and the network device is transmitted using a control plane.

[0124] In some embodiments, the network device sends a request related to the ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) service to the communication device via downlink control signaling, wherein the request includes an inventory request and / or a command request.

[0125] In some embodiments, the inventory request includes a range to be inventoried;

[0126] The command request includes one or more command objects and / or command content.

[0127] In some embodiments, the inventory scope includes a range of device identifications and / or an inventory period;

[0128] The command object includes a device identifier, an identifier list, or an identifier range;

[0129] The command content includes at least one of the following: accessing memory, reading and / or writing memory, changing device status, and deactivating a device.

[0130] In some embodiments, the reader of the communication device performs an inventory process on an area within a communication range, and the result of the inventory process is to obtain identifications of devices in the area that meet the filtering conditions.

[0131] In some embodiments, the network device receives a response from the communication device via uplink control plane signaling as a result of the feedback.

[0132] In some embodiments, the response to the inventory is a device identification;

[0133] The response to a command is success or failure, or a report result related to the command.

[0134] In some embodiments, the communication device processes multiple feedback results received from multiple AIoT devices and sends them to the network device in a unified manner.

[0135] In some embodiments, device-originating-device-terminated-traffic-triggered (DO-DTT) traffic or device-terminated (DT) traffic regarding ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) services between the communication device and the network device is transmitted using a user plane.

[0136] In some embodiments, the network device communicates with the communication device by carrying protocol data units (PDUs) in a protocol data unit (PDU) session.

[0137] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , the method further includes:

[0138] 504. The network device receives an inventory request and / or a command request from the core network.

[0139] Operation 504 may be performed before or after 501 .

[0140] In some embodiments, the network device receives the inventory request and / or the command request from at least one of an access mobility management function (AMF) of the core network, an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT)-specific network function (NF), and an application function (AF).

[0141] In some embodiments, the inventory request includes filter conditions for the inventory.

[0142] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , the method further includes:

[0143] 505. The network device selects the communication device, wherein the network device sends the control signaling and / or the configuration information to the selected communication device.

[0144] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , the method further includes:

[0145] 506. The network device organizes, stores, and / or processes the device identifications obtained through the inventory.

[0146] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , the method further includes:

[0147] 507. The network device reports the inventory result to the core network.

[0148] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , the method further includes:

[0149] 508. The network device is configured by an operation, maintenance and management (OAM) server, wherein the configuration includes a wireless configuration of a reader of the communication device served by the network device, wherein the wireless configuration includes a frequency and / or a frequency band.

[0150] Embodiments of the third aspect

[0151] The embodiment of the third aspect provides an apparatus for controlling a communication device, which is applied to the communication device. The apparatus corresponds to the method of the embodiment of the first aspect.

[0152] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for controlling a communication device according to an embodiment of the third aspect. As shown in FIG6 , the apparatus 600 for controlling a communication device includes a first processing unit 601. The first processing unit 601 controls the communication device to perform the following operations:

[0153] The communication device receives control signaling and / or configuration information sent by a network device, where the control signaling and / or the configuration information are used to control the communication device to communicate and / or access an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device through a first interface.

[0154] In some embodiments, the AIoT device sends a signal to the communication device by backscattering a first waveform, where the first waveform is a waveform sent by the communication device or a third-party device; or

[0155] The environmental Internet of Things device generates a first waveform, and modulates the information to be sent onto the first waveform for transmission.

[0156] In some embodiments, the communication device includes a mobile terminal and a reader,

[0157] The mobile terminal receives the control information or the configuration information,

[0158] The reader communicates with and / or accesses the Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device.

[0159] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes:

[0160] Layer 1 related configuration, and / or layer 2 related configuration, and / or paging related configuration.

[0161] In some embodiments, the layer 1 related configuration includes at least one of the following configurations:

[0162] The channel, modulation mode, coding method, connection timing parameters used by the reader and the AIoT device, time / frequency resources used by the reader and / or the AIoT device, time division duplex (TDD) configuration information, synchronization signal, and preamble identifier;

[0163] The layer 2 related configuration includes at least one of the following configurations:

[0164] Switch information of the reader, and parameter configuration in the media access control (MAC) process of the first interface.

[0165] In some embodiments, the switch information of the reader includes:

[0166] On and / or off time or period, or on and / or off triggering conditions;

[0167] The media access control (MAC) process of the first interface includes:

[0168] Inventory process, and / or command process;

[0169] The parameter configuration in the media access control (MAC) process of the first interface includes:

[0170] Inventory cycle length, parameters reflecting the maximum time slot during the inventory process, anti-collision algorithm parameters, collision management parameters, random access parameters, etc.

[0171] In some embodiments, the configuration information and / or control signaling is carried via a radio resource control (RRC) message or a medium access control control element (MAC CE).

[0172] In some embodiments, the operations further include:

[0173] receiving an AIoT service-related request sent by the network device;

[0174] Communicating with the AIoT device via the protocol stack of the first interface; and

[0175] The result information that needs to be fed back is sent to the network device.

[0176] In some embodiments, device-originating-device-terminated-traffic-triggered (DO-DTT) traffic or device-terminated (DT) traffic regarding ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) services between the communication device and the network device is transmitted using a control plane.

[0177] In some embodiments, the communication device receives the request related to the ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) service sent by the network device through downlink control signaling,

[0178] The request includes an inventory request and / or a command request.

[0179] In some embodiments, the inventory request includes a range to be inventoried;

[0180] The command request includes one or more command objects and / or command content.

[0181] In some embodiments, the inventory scope includes a range of device identifications and / or an inventory period;

[0182] The command object includes a device identifier, an identifier list, or an identifier range;

[0183] The command content includes at least one of the following: accessing memory, reading and / or writing memory, changing device status, and deactivating a device.

[0184] In some embodiments, the reader of the communication device performs an inventory process on the area within the communication range.

[0185] The result of the inventory process is to obtain the device identifications in the area that meet the filtering conditions.

[0186] In some embodiments, the communication device sends a response to the network device via uplink control plane signaling, thereby sending the result requiring feedback to the network device.

[0187] In some embodiments, the response to the inventory is a device identification;

[0188] The response to a command is success or failure, or a report result related to the command.

[0189] In some embodiments, the communication device processes multiple feedback results received from the ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device and sends them to the network device in a unified manner.

[0190] In some embodiments, device-originating-device-terminated-traffic-triggered (DO-DTT) traffic or device-terminated (DT) traffic regarding ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) services between the communication device and the network device is transmitted using a user plane.

[0191] In some embodiments, the communication device communicates with the network device via a protocol data unit (PDU) session.

[0192] Embodiments of the fourth aspect

[0193] The embodiment of the fourth aspect provides an apparatus for controlling a communication device, which is applied to a network device. The apparatus corresponds to the method of the embodiment of the second aspect.

[0194] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for controlling a communication device according to an embodiment of the fourth aspect. As shown in FIG7 , the apparatus 700 for controlling a communication device includes a second processing unit 701. The second processing unit 701 controls the network device to perform the following operations:

[0195] The network device sends control signaling and / or configuration information to the communication device, where the control signaling and / or the configuration information are used to control the communication device to communicate and / or access an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device through a first interface.

[0196] In some embodiments, the AIoT device sends a signal to the communication device by backscattering a first waveform, where the first waveform is a waveform sent by the communication device or a third-party device; or

[0197] The environmental Internet of Things device generates a first waveform, and modulates the information to be sent onto the first waveform for transmission.

[0198] In some embodiments, the communication device includes a mobile terminal and a reader,

[0199] The mobile terminal receives the control information or the configuration information,

[0200] The reader communicates with and / or accesses the Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device.

[0201] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes:

[0202] Layer 1 related configuration, and / or layer 2 related configuration, and / or paging related configuration.

[0203] In some embodiments, the layer 1 related configuration includes at least one of the following configurations:

[0204] The channel, modulation mode, coding method, connection timing parameters used by the reader and the AIoT device, time / frequency resources used by the reader and / or the AIoT device, time division duplex (TDD) configuration information, synchronization signal, and preamble identifier;

[0205] The layer 2 related configuration includes at least one of the following configurations:

[0206] Switch information of the reader, and parameter configuration in the media access control (MAC) process of the first interface.

[0207] In some embodiments, the switch information of the reader includes:

[0208] On and / or off time or period, or on and / or off triggering conditions;

[0209] The media access control (MAC) process of the first interface includes:

[0210] Inventory process, and / or command process;

[0211] The parameter configuration in the media access control (MAC) process of the first interface includes:

[0212] Inventory cycle length, parameters reflecting the maximum time slot during the inventory process, anti-collision algorithm parameters, collision management parameters, random access parameters, etc.

[0213] In some embodiments, the configuration information and / or control signaling is carried via a radio resource control (RRC) message or a medium access control control element (MAC CE).

[0214] In some embodiments, the operations further include:

[0215] The network device sends a request related to an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) service to the communication device; and

[0216] A result of receiving feedback sent by the communication device.

[0217] In some embodiments, device-originating-device-terminated-traffic-triggered (DO-DTT) traffic or device-terminated (DT) traffic regarding ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) services between the communication device and the network device is transmitted using a control plane.

[0218] In some embodiments, the network device sends a request related to the AIoT service to the communication device via downlink control signaling.

[0219] The request includes an inventory request and / or a command request.

[0220] In some embodiments, the inventory request includes a range to be inventoried;

[0221] The command request includes one or more command objects and / or command content.

[0222] In some embodiments, the inventory scope includes a range of device identifications and / or an inventory period;

[0223] The command object includes a device identifier, an identifier list, or an identifier range;

[0224] The command content includes at least one of the following: accessing memory, reading and / or writing memory, changing device status, and deactivating a device.

[0225] In some embodiments, the network device receives a response from the communication device via uplink control plane signaling as a result of the feedback.

[0226] In some embodiments, the response to the inventory is a device identification;

[0227] The response to a command is success or failure, or a report result related to the command.

[0228] In some embodiments, the communication device processes multiple feedback results received from multiple AIoT devices and sends them to the network device in a unified manner.

[0229] In some embodiments, device-originating-device-terminated-traffic-triggered (DO-DTT) traffic or device-terminated (DT) traffic regarding ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) services between the communication device and the network device is transmitted using a user plane.

[0230] In some embodiments, the network device communicates with the communication device by carrying protocol data units (PDUs) in a protocol data unit (PDU) session.

[0231] In some embodiments, the operations further include:

[0232] The network device receives an inventory request and / or a command request from a core network.

[0233] In some embodiments, the network device receives the inventory request and / or the command request from at least one of an access mobility management function (AMF) of the core network, an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT)-specific network function (NF), and an application function (AF).

[0234] In some embodiments, the inventory request includes filter conditions for the inventory.

[0235] In some embodiments, the operations further include:

[0236] The network device selects the communication device,

[0237] The network device sends the control signaling and / or the configuration information to the selected communication device.

[0238] In some embodiments, the operations further include:

[0239] The network device organizes, stores, and / or processes the device identifications obtained through the inventory.

[0240] In some embodiments, the operations further include:

[0241] The network device reports the inventory result to the core network.

[0242] In some embodiments, the operations further include:

[0243] The network equipment is configured by an Operation and Maintenance Management (OAM) server,

[0244] The configuration includes a wireless configuration of a reader of the communication device served by the network device, the wireless configuration including a frequency and / or a frequency band.

[0245] Embodiments of the fifth aspect

[0246] The embodiment of the fifth aspect of the present application provides a communication system, which may include an environmental Internet of Things device, a network device, and an intermediate node. In addition, the communication system may also include a core network.

[0247] At least one of the network device and the intermediate node may have the schematic diagram of the electronic device shown in FIG8 .

[0248] As shown in Figure 8, the electronic device 800 may include a processor 810 and a memory 820; the memory 820 stores data and programs and is coupled to the processor 810. It should be noted that this figure is exemplary; other types of structures may be used to supplement or replace this structure to implement telecommunication functions or other functions.

[0249] For example, the processor 810 may be configured to execute a program to implement the functions of at least one of a network device and an intermediate node.

[0250] As shown in Figure 8 , the terminal device 800 may further include: a communication module 830, an input unit 840, a display 850, and a power supply 860. The functions of these components are similar to those in the prior art and are not described in detail here. It is worth noting that the terminal device 800 does not necessarily include all of the components shown in Figure 8 , and these components are not essential. Furthermore, the terminal device 800 may also include components not shown in Figure 8 , for which reference may be made to the prior art.

[0251] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program, wherein when the program is executed in at least one of a network device and an intermediate node, the program causes the device to execute a corresponding method to implement a corresponding function.

[0252] An embodiment of the present application also provides a storage medium storing a computer program, wherein when the computer program enables at least one of a network device and an intermediate node to execute the program, the program enables the device to execute a corresponding method to implement a corresponding function.

[0253] The above devices and methods of the present application can be implemented by hardware or by a combination of hardware and software. The present application relates to such a computer-readable program that, when executed by a logic component, enables the logic component to implement the devices or components described above, or enables the logic component to implement the various methods or steps described above. The present application also relates to a storage medium for storing the above program, such as a hard disk, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a DVD, a flash memory, etc.

[0254] The method / device described in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as hardware, a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of the two. For example, one or more of the functional block diagrams shown in the figure and / or one or more combinations of functional block diagrams can correspond to various software modules of the computer program flow or to various hardware modules. These software modules can respectively correspond to the various steps shown in the figure. These hardware modules can be implemented by solidifying these software modules, for example, using a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0255] The software module may be located in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. A storage medium may be coupled to a processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium; or the storage medium may be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium may be located in an ASIC. The software module may be stored in the memory of the mobile terminal or in a memory card that can be inserted into the mobile terminal. For example, if the device (such as a mobile terminal) uses a large-capacity MEGA-SIM card or a large-capacity flash memory device, the software module may be stored in the MEGA-SIM card or the large-capacity flash memory device.

[0256] One or more of the functional blocks and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings may be implemented as a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, or any appropriate combination thereof for performing the functions described in this application. One or more of the functional blocks and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in communication with a DSP, or any other such configuration.

[0257] The present application has been described above in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these descriptions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application based on the spirit and principles of the present application, and such modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present application.

[0258] Regarding the implementation methods including the above embodiments, the following additional notes are also disclosed:

[0259] 1. A method for controlling a communication device, the method being applied to the communication device, the method comprising:

[0260] The communication device receives control signaling and / or configuration information sent by a network device, where the control signaling and / or the configuration information are used to control the communication device to communicate and / or access an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device through a first interface.

[0261] 2. The method as described in Note 1, wherein the method further comprises:

[0262] receiving an AIoT service-related request sent by the network device;

[0263] Communicating with the AIoT device via the protocol stack of the first interface; and

[0264] The result information that needs to be fed back is sent to the network device.

[0265] 3. The method as described in Note 2, wherein:

[0266] Device-originating (DO-DTT) traffic or device-terminated (DT) traffic triggered by device-terminated traffic of an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) service between the communication device and the network device is transmitted using a control plane.

[0267] 4. The method as described in Note 2, wherein:

[0268] The reader of the communication device performs an inventory process on the area within the communication range,

[0269] The result of the inventory process is to obtain the device identifications in the area that meet the filtering conditions.

[0270] 5. The method as described in Note 2, wherein:

[0271] Device-originating (DO-DTT) traffic or device-terminated (DT) traffic triggered by device-terminated traffic of an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) service between the communication device and the network device is transmitted using a user plane.

[0272] 6. The method as described in Note 5, wherein:

[0273] The communication device communicates with the network device via a protocol data unit (PDU) session.

[0274] 7. A method for controlling a communication device, the method being applied to a network device, characterized in that the method comprises:

[0275] The network device sends control signaling and / or configuration information to the communication device, where the control signaling and / or the configuration information are used to control the communication device to communicate and / or access an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device through a first interface.

[0276] 8. The method as described in Supplementary Note 7, wherein the method further comprises:

[0277] The network device sends a request related to an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) service to the communication device; and

[0278] A result of receiving feedback sent by the communication device.

[0279] 9. The method as described in Supplementary Note 8, wherein:

[0280] The method further comprises:

[0281] The network device organizes, stores, and / or processes the device identifications obtained through the inventory.

[0282] 10. The method as described in Supplementary Note 7, wherein:

[0283] The method further comprises:

[0284] The network equipment is configured by an Operation and Maintenance Management (OAM) server,

[0285] The configuration includes a wireless configuration of a reader of the communication device served by the network device, the wireless configuration including a frequency and / or a frequency band.

Claims

1. A device for controlling a communication device, wherein the device is applied to the communication device, characterized in that: The apparatus includes a first processing unit, which controls the communication device to perform the following operations: The communication device receives control signaling and / or configuration information sent by a network device, where the control signaling and / or the configuration information are used to control the communication device to communicate and / or access an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device through a first interface.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein The AIoT device sends a signal to the communication device by backscattering a first waveform, where the first waveform is a waveform sent by the communication device or a third-party device; or The environmental Internet of Things device generates a first waveform, and modulates the information to be sent onto the first waveform for transmission.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein The communication device includes a mobile terminal and a reader, The mobile terminal receives the control information or the configuration information, The reader communicates with and / or accesses the Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein The configuration information includes: Layer 1 related configuration, and / or layer 2 related configuration, and / or paging related configuration.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein The layer 1 related configuration includes at least one of the following configurations: The channel, modulation mode, coding method, connection timing parameters used by the reader and the AIoT device, time / frequency resources used by the reader and / or the AIoT device, time division duplex (TDD) configuration information, synchronization signal, and preamble identifier; The layer 2 related configuration includes at least one of the following configurations: Switch information of the reader, and parameter configuration in the media access control (MAC) process of the first interface.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein The switch information of the reader includes: On and / or off time or period, or on and / or off triggering conditions; The media access control (MAC) process of the first interface includes: Inventory process, and / or command process; The parameter configuration in the media access control (MAC) process of the first interface includes: Inventory cycle length, parameters reflecting the maximum time slot during the inventory process, anti-collision algorithm parameters, collision management parameters, and random access parameters.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein The configuration information and / or control signaling is carried via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message or a Media Access Control Control Element (MAC CE).

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein The operations further include: receiving an AIoT service-related request sent by the network device; Communicating with the AIoT device via the protocol stack of the first interface; and The result information that needs to be fed back is sent to the network device.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein The communication device receives the request related to the AIoT service sent by the network device through downlink control signaling, The request includes an inventory request and / or a command request.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein The inventory request includes the scope of the inventory; The command request includes one or more command objects and / or command content.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein The scope of the inventory includes the scope of equipment identification and / or the inventory period; The command object includes a device identifier, an identifier list, or an identifier range; The command content includes at least one of the following: accessing memory, reading and / or writing memory, changing device status, and deactivating a device.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein: The communication device sends a response to the network device through uplink control plane signaling, thereby sending the result requiring feedback to the network device.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein: The response to the inventory is the device identification; The response to a command is success or failure, or a report result related to the command.

14. A device for controlling a communication device, the device being applied to a network device, characterized in that: The apparatus includes a second processing unit, which controls the network device to perform the following operations: The network device sends control signaling and / or configuration information to the communication device, where the control signaling and / or the configuration information are used to control the communication device to communicate and / or access an ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device through a first interface.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein: The communication device includes a mobile terminal and a reader, The mobile terminal receives the control information or the configuration information, The reader communicates with and / or accesses the Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein: The operations further include: The network device sends an AIoT service-related request to the communication device; and A result of receiving feedback sent by the communication device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein: The operations further include: The network device receives an inventory request and / or a command request from a core network.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein: The network device receives the inventory request and / or the command request from at least one of an access mobility management function (AMF) of the core network, a network function (NF) dedicated to ambient Internet of Things (AIoT), and an application function (AF).

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein: The operations further include: The network device selects the communication device, The network device sends the control signaling and / or the configuration information to the selected communication device.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein: The operations further include: The network device reports the inventory result to the core network.

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